Friday, August 20, 2010

Empress *

Luscious and strange, this apple had me at first bite.

Everything about Empress is a little uncommon. Take a look at the photo and mentally remove the stem. A bit topsy turvy, don't you think?

Many apples have ribs that terminate in little bumps or chins, but usually at the base, not at the crown. Many taper towards the bottom; this one is plum-shaped.

Not every Empress is tapered at the top, but the ones I saw had rib bumps more prominent at the stem than the bottom. 

Otherwise this is a medium-sized apple, with a deep purple blush over light yellow tinged with green. The small light lenticels set off the attractive blush, and a smoke-colored bloom decorates the skin in patches.

The fruit has an enticing aroma of cider and spice.

Empress's flesh is also unusual, a yielding coarse-grained apricot yellow. (Update 2012: That yellow is not typical for Empress.)

It is both rich and sweet with a little tempering astringency. There are indistinct notes of melon, faint coconut and oranges, and fruity hard candy that reminds me a little of the "fake watermelon" taste in Vista Bella (another early variety).

This last flavor peaks intensely for just an instant before fading, the only jarring note in the entire presentation.

The net effect is not so much tropical as succulent, and the texture, color, and flavors conspire to suggest that this is not an apple at all but some exotic fruit of an entirely different genus. The peel is chewy.

Empress is another product of the Agricultural Experiment Station at Cornell, a cross between Jonamac and Vista Bella. I really recommend this one.

Update August 2012: I've had the pleasure of eating more of these this year, and felt compelled to note that the "apricot" flesh color I found above must have been a fluke.

5 comments:

  1. This is a fantastic little apple. It is unlike any other apple you have ever had. To me it tastes like a cross between black and red licorice. Very sweet and candy-like. Soft, red-purple, looks and feels almost like a plum. Very unique. I like this apple very much.

    ReplyDelete
  2. David, aren't they great? Really unusual.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Im ready for this one, a local orchard has them late august. I love the flavor of Jonamac, it will be interesting to see how it comes together with more exotic flavors.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I found an apple at a Whole Foods in Dallas today labeled as an Empress, but this post seems to indicate that they're available in the summer months, not in late November. I taste a bit of the red licorice flavor David speaks about, but the seasonal availability is throwing me off here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tucker, I think I would be similarly puzzled if I found one of these in December.

      Either someone has been keeping these in controlled-atmosphere storage since August or WF is wrong or misinformed.

      The former strikes me as unlikely but not impossible.

      Delete

Join the conversation! We'd love to know what you think.